Just Tell Me You Love Me
by Avery72
Summary: Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his daughter, he must now choose between having the family he always wanted and his young master, Artemis. AFxOC
1. So We Meet

**Avery's Note:** This is a crack-shot idea that may or may not have potential. I'm open for any suggestions that you might have. I hope you enjoy it.

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis? AFxOC

**The story thus so far:** N/A

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

---

Chapter 1: So We Meet

Artemis Fowl, although making an agreement with him mother to forgo all heinous crimes, was willing to compromise when it came to perpetuating the family wealth. But these escapades were usually of a minor scale, like rewiring a couple million Euros to his bank account.

With much more free time the young mastermind grew bored more and more often. Stealing money from a bank wasn't difficult, taking him five minutes at the maximum. He could tolerate his twin brothers only so much before he needed to engage himself intellectually. In that department, there wasn't much to do either because most all of the plans needed a devious crime or two in order to come to fruition.

Disinterested, Artemis went through his E-Mail on his handheld as he chewed on his left thumb nail. He wasn't necessarily nervous, just bored enough to act like he was nervous. There was a small ping and vibration as his E-Mail automatically updated itself.

"You have something I want," Artemis read aloud to no one in particular. "Be at your favorite café in half an hour. I'll treat you to lunch, while we're at it. A."

Artemis frowned at the message. Not because it proved that there was a criminal out there who wished to enlist his assistance, but that it was the type of challenge he probably had sworn not to participate in. But he would never know what the message fully entailed unless he investigated.

Artemis opened a separate window on the screen of his handheld and did a background check on the sender of the message. Any data on the individual was nonexistent. There wasn't an IP address of the message, either. So early into the game, and he or she was a couple of steps ahead of him.

Artemis pushed the handheld into his pocket and walked as calmly as he could into the kitchen.

"Butler," he announced as he entered. "Do you have a minute or two?"

The loyal manservant put his gun barrel and metal polish down and gave his full attention to his young master. "What is it, Artemis?"

"I think I want to go out to the café and have lunch there. There's a friend I would like to meet. Is that alright with you?"

Butler nodded, returning back to his work of maintaining his various firearms. A smile spread across Artemis' face, a highly rare action made by the boy. "As long as it doesn't entail anything underground," the manservant added as he snapped the final, polished piece of metal into place.

"Is the pun intended?"

"Yes." Butler raised an eyebrow. It was the first time Artemis openly responded one of his jokes.

There was a silence as the two men tried their best not to smile nor laugh. Artemis cracked first, letting out an awkward sound that was a stifled chuckle. Butler smiled widely at his charge. For the past few years, the two had unintentionally distanced themselves. But now they were closer than ever.

In minutes there were in the Bentley, driving towards the single restaurant Artemis ate at for pleasure, not at just for business negotiations. Artemis checked the density of the crowd present out of habit. He never was too thrilled when he had to wait for an open table.

No one was present in the café, except the maître d.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," greeted the two men as they walked in. Butler nodded to the man, Artemis ignored him completely. "Are you here under reservations for…?" The waiter looked peculiarly at the letter written on the page. "A?"

Artemis gave a slight nod to Butler, who nodded to the head waiter. The maître d scribbled something on the page and picked up three menus. "If you gentlemen would follow me, please."

Butler stood a little closer to Artemis as they walked into the café. Although they had eaten here several times, Butler was still wary of any potential threat to his young master. Butler was even more cautious since he didn't know who this friend of Artemis' was, and especially since the usually full café was bare empty.

"My friend must have reserved the entire restaurant," Artemis thought. "No interruptions. No witnesses."

Also out of habit, Artemis created a variety of plans in case something unexpected did happen. Which, given his past few years, tended to. With his bodyguard on the alert, it made him just a little anxious. However, Artemis knew the situation was cleared when Butler dropped a step behind.

The two men seated themselves at a table for four next to a large glass window on the right side of the room. As they settled themselves in their seats, the waiter asked, "May I get you something to refresh yourselves while you wait?" He handed each a menu and set the last one in the spot across from Artemis.

"Water," the two replied simultaneously. They weren't in the mood to have coffee or tea with their lunch, and carbonated liquids made Artemis feel queasy in the stomach.

The maître d nodded and took off to the kitchen. The double swinging doors made a soft swoosh as the man passed through them. A louder sound was made as the front door to the restaurant was pushed open.

A young woman, about the same age as Artemis, walked in. She propped her designer Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses on top of her head to reveal black opal eyes. There was a bright sparkle behind them, as if her eyes were made with the stars in them. She smiled warmly and walked gracefully over.

Artemis' heart skipped a beat as he examined her. He nervously re-crossed his legs and tried to ignore the heat coiling in his lower abdomen. His breath was a little heavier and a little more laborious. His heart, albeit regaining its standard rhythm, pounded against his ribs.

The young woman was beyond gorgeous. Her curled, jet black hair cascaded gently across her delicate shoulders. She had a thin frame and pale skin, but one could see the defined outline of muscles. She wore an Armani, bright floral sundress to accent her delicate frame and feminine curves. The heels of her matching shoes made her a few inches taller than she really was. In her ears hung two diamond drops and she wore a diamond ring on her right index finger.

Artemis tried his hardest not to stare and have his mouth drop open as she came over to the table. Butler kicked him gently under the table and Artemis gave him a grateful glance, having finally been able to peel his eyes away from her.

Butler stood up and pulled her chair out for. "Thank you," she said as she sat down, never taking her eyes from Artemis. Her voice was the sweetest of melodies Artemis had ever heard, even those of Debussy's _Clair de Lune_. Butler nodded in acknowledgement and sat down again next to his master.

"You must be A?"

She laughed. It was even lovelier than the sound of her voice, which Artemis had at first never thought possible. "I suppose you could but it that way." She extended her hand across the table. "Avery Lefluer."

The young man took it. "Artemis Fowl." He brought Avery's hand to his lips and kissed them gently. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Avery chuckled at the outdated formalities. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you, Fowl?" She reclaimed her hand and brushed a few locks of her hair behind her shoulder. "I've met a lot of men in my lifetime and never any as whimsical as you."

"Just like the flowers, an admirable beauty accompanied by pungent scent, Mademoiselle Lefleur." As the words came out of Artemis' mouth, he mused to himself where he learned to be charismatic towards elegant young women. Through process of elimination, he figured it was due to the stages of sexual development at the age of seventeen.

She smiled politely at the flattery. Avery didn't care much for faux genuineness, but it didn't hurt her confidence to hear wonderful things said about her to her face. "Shall we get straight to our business then, Master Fowl?"

"Yes, what is it that I have that you desire?" Artemis asked. He had temporarily forgotten about the dealings that were supposed to occur. "But first, let me introduce my comrade."

"Butler," Avery cut in, the brilliant smile never leaving her face.

"Do you know him?" Artemis asked. He seemed to be asking a lot of questions that day. The practice was fairly new to him.

"I know him… to an extent."

Butler extended a hand across the small, square table. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle Lefluer."

Avery laughed at the title given to her. "Please, I'm not French. Nor am I a woman on any respectable degree."

Whilst Butler recalled the woman who alleged the exact same statement to him, Artemis made a mental note of her slight disposition to being called "Mademoiselle." Avery paused for a moment, waiting for the two men to commit their mental notes to memory.

"I'm quite sure if Artemis was aware of my cover name, Domovoi, he would have had you dispose of me already."

At the mention of Butler's real name, Fowl and his manservant's heads snapped to attention. In their minds, Avery changed from an exquisite woman into a considerable threat. "How does she know me?" thought Butler. "How did she break through the security systems?" Artemis questioned himself mentally.

"The honor is all mine, father."

---

**To be continued…**


	2. Flashback 70s

**Avery's Note:** I never know what kinds of events would define Butler, but I have unleashed my imagination to create what I think would be appropriate. Thanks for reading!

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** Avery Lefleur, the illegitimate daughter of Artemis Fowl's manservant, finally meets her father face-to-face. Albeit Artemis is attracted to the girl, he is alarmed by her ability to get past him.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

Chapter 2: Flashback 70s

Butler hid in the shadows, waiting for the guard to come around the corner. He counted backwards from eleven slowly. During his observation period, Butler had noticed that the lookout made his rotation every fifteen seconds exact. With three seconds left to go, Butler held his breath and retracted his right arm.

Like lightning, he struck out at the passing sentinel, knocking him unconscious. Searching with his hands in the dark, Butler fumbled around for the set of identity cards required to get past the security locks. A few seconds later, he found what he wanted in the lower left breast pocket.

Clearing the next few floors was so simple Butler felt something was amiss. The guards were all just as predictable as the one he had earlier knocked unconscious. For a moment, Butler doubted himself and whether he truly deserved the blue diamond tattooed onto his shoulder.

"Madame Ko is never wrong," Butler mumbled to himself as he dashed up another flight of stairs.

He stopped at the top level of the hotel, which was converted to be the ballroom suite for the richest and most powerful of Europe. The sophisticated contemporary music wafted out to greet Butler, standing at the pearly white double French-style doors. He did a last minute check of his gun located at the small of his back and the crispness of his tuxedo.

Butler took one breath and pushed one of the doors back. Without effort, Butler blended in with the crowds gathered all about the room. Inconspicuous as always, not a single individual questioned his presence let alone spare a glance at him.

He walked around, scanning the crowd for a particular individual without appearing to do just that. Butler leaned upon the bar with one arm and continued his visual. He checked a glance at the polished black onyx Rolex on his left wrist. It was only 8:27. The night was still young.

"Can I get you something?" the man behind the bar asked, brandishing a glass cup.

"The most beautiful woman at the party," Butler quipped.

There was some truth laced behind the words. While waiting for the next Fowl to be born, Butler had temporarily taken up the profession of mercenary. His current objective was to retrieve a young woman from the party. As to why exactly he was supposed to kidnap her, Butler wasn't sure, but a job was a job. No questions asked.

"Delilah?" the bartender asked. He chuckled as he filled up the glass with a dry martini. "You're gonna need some major balls to get your prissy ass off this bar and talk to her." He pushed the drink over to Butler.

Butler flinched slightly at the crude language and ignored the alcoholic beverage. He, however, had gained the information that he wanted. Turning his head, Butler looked at the bar tender. "Why's that?"

"Take a look for yourself. She's over there, in the lounge chair."

Butler threw his gaze over at the stunning goddess the other man motioned towards. She was dressed in a long, flowing green dress. It was the avant-garde style only fearless and spunky women had the nerve to wear. Her black tresses were pinned upon her head with rare gemstones, yet a couple braids fell to frame her delicate face. Most interesting of all were her unique eyes. They were solid green eyes of flecks of blue in them.

The woman sitting in the longue chair knew most all of the men were either watching her or trying not to watch her. Conversely, the young one at the bar seemed to have different intentions than to just have sex. At eighteen and carrying the persona of confidence, Domovoi Butler was incredibly handsome. His short, scruffy, jet black hair and personally tailored suit gave him the debonair charm of an older Russian man. He had serious, dark navy blue eyes. He was tall and well-built, but slender rather than bulky.

She purposely dropped her hand carved ivory fan to the ground. Butler noticed and assumed that as a signal of engagement. As she reached down to retrieve it, Butler was already at her side, holding the fan out to her. Their eyes met and locked for a moment too long.

He gave her a plastic smile, his perfect teeth on full display.

"Excuse me, Mademoiselle Lefleur," Butler said as he straightened and properly offered her fan back to her again.

She laughed. It was a high twitter of a sound. It was soothing to hear, like one finds it enjoyable to the listen to the loving crooning of a mother. "Please, I'm not French. Nor am I a woman on any respectable degree."

"I respectively disagree."

Lefleur moved a few inches over to the right on the large longue chair to make enough room for Butler to sit. "Sit. Let us discuss this issue because I do not wish for you to get the wrong impression."

Butler sat next to the woman exclusive of hesitation. It was clear to him that Lefleur was aware of his mission and what it entailed. Without thinking, he sat back and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Yes, let us."

* * *

"This is your garden of secrets?" Butler raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that clichéd?"

Delilah laughed as she tugged on his hand to follow her down the path. "Sure it is. But that doesn't make this place any less valuable to me." The sunlight reflected off the clear waters of the lake the two were walking along. It was a beautiful day.

They stopped at a wooden park bench beneath a large tree. Butler sat down and Delilah hopped onto his lap. She tucked her head in the crook of his broad shoulder.

"Tell me about yourself, Domovoi. I am curious about your line of work."

Butler shifted Delilah on his lap and encircled her small frame with his muscular arms. "As you probably know, every Butler is assigned to the next heir in the Fowl line at birth. I act as the physical strength behind the intelligence of the criminal mastermind. However, because I graduated ahead of my class and the next Fowl is yet to be born for a few more years, I have been given the opportunity to enjoy myself."

Delilah took one of Butler's hands in hers. "For what time you have left… Will you spend those years by my side?" She titled her head upwards and gazed deep into Butler's eyes.

"Shall I stand your bodyguard or your lover?"

"Both." A smile crept upon Delilah's lips as she saw the confirmation in Butler's face even though he was yet to voice it. Butler reciprocated the motion, smiling back. Feeling a warmth spring in her heart unlike anything else she felt before, Delilah leaned forward and kissed Butler.

* * *

"I will not marry that damn bastard!" Delilah shouted at her mother.

"And why won't you, Delilah? He has everything to offer you," her mother asked. Her voice sent uncomfortable sensations down Butler's spine. He heard the frame of a fan snap as Delilah's mother opened one. "We must keep the family name alive." The voice was a little more muted from behind the fan. Butler recognized that it was the feminine way to convey emotion.

"He does not love me."

"What does that have anything to do with marrying him?"

There was an angry pause in the conversation. Butler tensed in fear that physical aggression would take place. His grip tightened on the crystal doorknob of the study, but he refrained from interrupting the family dispute. He knew that in the Lefleur family, inheritance was passed along the female line. By Delilah refusing to marry the arranged man, she was defying centuries of tradition.

Delilah was the only daughter of five children, and the next to take the family title. It was also imperative that Delilah married into a well respected family, so that the sons would not challenge her position.

"It's that man," Delilah's mother spat finally. "Butler, is it?"

"Yes."

The older Lefleur woman cackled hysterically. "How long do you expect for him to wait on you?" she sniggered through guffaws. "He's assigned to the next heir of the Fowls. He will abandon you in a few years. Not only will you cause calamity upon yourself, but you will destroy the entire Lefleur family."

There was another pause as the younger woman was struck by the comment. A crack echoed through the silence as another fan was snapped open. "I would rather have true love for one day, than to suffer an eternity to satisfy archaic tradition," Delilah announced defiantly.

* * *

Delilah sat on the edge of bed, watching the manservant. Her eyes trailed him and analyzed each movement. It had been about three years since they first met, and Delilah had mastered the ability to read Butler's movements. The Lefluers were not as notorious as the Fowls, but they were still identified amongst the top five.

Delilah was concerned with the way his shoulders stooped forward, his mouth pulled in a hard line, his legs tightly crossed. He tapped anxiously on the desktop, his mind committing the architecture of the Fowl Manor to memory.

"It is time, isn't it?" she asked solemnly.

Butler stopped his nervous tapping and looked up at his lover. "Yes. I leave tomorrow morning."

His lover beckoned him over to her. With a sigh, Butler stood up and walked over. He stood between her legs, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Delilah wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her head upon his chest, and pulled him close.

"Promise me you'll never forget me."

"How could I forget you? I would assume it to be the other way, especially since you will surrounded by the richest gentlemen from all around the world."

"But none will be Domovoi Butler."

"And there will never be another Delilah Lefleur."

Butler looked down into her dark green speckled with light blue eyes. He gently kissed her on the crown of her head. That was followed by a kiss on her nose. Another kiss was placed on her cheek. And another one on the other cheek. Finally, Butler placed his lips upon hers.

Delilah smiled under Butler's lips and kissed back. She pulled him down onto the bed with her. Laughing lightly, Butler let her.

* * *

Butler made no sound as he struggled to crawl out of Delilah's bed. His heart pulled at him, telling him to go back to sleep in the arms of the only woman he would ever love. Years of training arose and subdued the pain, but it never fully left. With effort, he showered and dressed himself.

Before leaving, Butler did a final check of his appearance. Everything had to be perfect or he would never survive the shame from mismanaging the first day on the job. He checked his weapons, then his exterior once more. The mirror of the bathroom reflected the sadness etched on his face. Butler looked out into the bedroom, to Delilah, who was still sleeping peacefully.

She had curled up into a ball on her side. Butler walked over and pushed her hair behind her ear. He gently stroked the soft skin of her cheek. After a few minutes, he leaned down and kissed her. "I love you, Delilah Lefleur. I promise I will come back for you," he whispered.

Just as the morning's sunlight crept into the room, Butler, Delilah's exclusive sun, disappeared.

**To be continued…**


	3. Done and Over in One Week

**Avery's Note:** It's fairly obvious that I've take several liberties with this creation of mine. Hopefully, they won't get too out of hand, but I can't guarantee anything. If you have any suggestions, they would be most appreciated! Thanks for reading!

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** Butler finally tells Artemis about his past. He agrees to act as her father for one week. Avery must now outsmart Artemis to claim the family member she always wanted.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

---

Chapter 3: Done and Over in One Week

"Father?" sputtered Artemis, choking on his saliva. He turned his head away from the table and coughed roughly a few times to clear his throat. "You're a father?"

Butler nodded slowly, as if he was ashamed of the fact. "Not only is evidence unquestionable, but I believe it sincerely as well."

"Did you even know about Avery?"

"The thought may have crossed my mind once or twice over the course of the years. However, I never truly knew I had a daughter, let alone it be Avery Lefleur."

Artemis' thoughts trailed off as he connected the pieces of Butler's past together along with the pieces of Butler's present. He nibbled absentmindedly on his thumb. The entire picture of the situation was clearing, but there still was something obscure about it all.

"How old are you?" Artemis asked Avery.

"Seventeen."

"But if you were conceived on the night Butler and your mother split…"

Butler cleared his throat. Artemis looked at his manservant, not sure of what crucial segment he was missing. Avery kept her face expressionless, internally enjoying the out of character responses of Artemis Fowl. If the meeting continued along the hypothetical path she expected, than it wouldn't be much longer until she got what she wanted.

"Avery wasn't born until almost short of twenty years later."

Artemis looked incredulously at his manservant. "What do you mean by that?"

"Artemis, you are not the first child of the Fowls. You're mother's first child was a daughter she had miscarried. Not wanting to abandon your father at a time he needed me most, I officially took my position. The following sixteen years I spent working with him.

"During those years, I searched for Delilah whenever I had the chance. It was near impossible for she had been banished from the family and had taken up another name. And then, at the end of a decade's inquiry of her whereabouts, I finally found her.

"I begged your father to let me meet up with her. Thankfully, Artemis I is a great man and granted me leave for one year." A small smile crept to Butler's lips as he recalled the excitement of reuniting with Delilah. "For twelve full months, I was just a man in love."

There was a silence for everyone was engaged in their private thoughts. Butler took another solid look at Avery. The young woman was very similar to her mother in appearance and demeanor. If they had encountered each other to a short moment randomly on the street, Butler would have easily mistaken Avery for Delilah. Artemis pondered the mysterious Butler, a man he had felt, up until recently, he knew very well. He also was eager to establish further relations with Avery. He liked her. Avery was gloating over how successful her operation was.

"Are you going to come back with me, Father?" Avery asked, breaking the reverie.

Butler shook his head. "No."

It was as if a whip cracked the silence and reverberated off the large glass windows of the café. The simple negative word was like a backhanded slap in the face to Avery. All color faded from her cheeks, giving her a deathly pale hue. Her eyes cast themselves downwards and one could see the evident grief in her face.

With a practiced fluid motion, Avery snapped a hand carved, ivory fan open. Butler noticed that Avery had learned the art behind using a fan to display emotion. He also noticed it was the same one that had once belonged to Delilah. Despite years of use, the tool was still in the pristine condition as the day Butler picked it up.

Avery covered her entire face from the bridge of the nose down with her mother's fan. Only her black opal eyes were visible. "Why not, Father? I have spent these past years restoring the Lefleur family. I can give you anything you desire. You will never have to work beneath another man, Father."

Artemis was not too sure about the reasoning behind Avery's statement concerning the Lefleurs. They had always been a family of prominent international criminals. And as far as he was aware, it was currently headed by a woman referred to as "Janelle."

"I will research it further, when I get home," Artemis told himself silently. "It is becoming quite an unusual and interesting case. I don't think I've enjoyed myself this much since my last adventure with Holly." With that section of thought organized away, Artemis returned his attention to the father and daughter.

"My allegiance lies only with the Fowls."

"But not with your family, Father?" Avery asked.

Butler frowned at the girl hiding behind the fan. "Avery, you are my daughter biologically. But you a no more a real daughter to me than the maître d of this restaurant is my brother."

"Do you really feel that way?" whispered Avery. Her heart sank through her feet as she struggled to fight off tears. She had always longed for her father, to have a picturesque family like those of the cinema. Avery's once brilliant dream was being shattered to infinite pieces.

Butler nodded his head.

Avery tried her best to refrain from yelling at her father. She tried her best to understand his perspective of the situation. She also tried her best to keep her voice even and refrain from crying.

"Mother killed herself, Butler." Avery couldn't gather the courage to lower then fan and look Butler in the face. "She cried while pressing the muzzle of you SIG Sauer to her temple." With her free hand, Avery reached beneath the folds of her dress and pulled a gun from its holster on her thigh. She placed it on the table.

Butler picked it up and turned the weapon in his hands. For several years he believed that he had lost it and mentally beat himself up for such a careless move. It happened that she had asked for it and he had been more than willing to leave it behind. Butler had forgotten the event for he was in such a rush to meet the demands of his employer.

"I was only five, Butler. She said that her life had run its course. She told me I was old enough to take care of myself and take charge of the Lefleur name. You should have seen the expression written about her face." Avery paused. She could no longer hold back the stream of tears.

"She didn't have anything left to live for. Unlike the first time, she knew you weren't coming back."

Butler lifted the gun and placed the muzzle against his temple. His finger was in the trigger, waiting for the neurological signal to pull back. Butler closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt all the emotions Delilah would have felt before killing herself. He experienced all the sadness, all the pain, all the turmoil, and all the hopelessness.

"One week," Butler stated, his attention still focused on the vortex of emotions swimming in his mind. "I will be your father for one week."

Avery nodded from behind her fan.

---

**To be continued…**


	4. D1: Welcome to the Family

**Avery's Note:** I still am not very good with matching up personalities with the original characters. I am trying my best, though. I doubt success in the future, as well, because I am going to have to manipulate them to fit the storyline. And like all other disclaimers, none of the characters are of my creation except for Avery.

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** After learning of the truth of his beloved wife, Butler is finally convinced to provide Avery the chance to reclaim him as her own. However, due to years of obligation to the Fowls, Butler only gives his daughter one week.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

---

Chapter 4: D1: Welcome to the Family

The gentle melody of Debussy's _Clair de Lune_ drifted through the silent halls of the Fowl Manor. A young woman sat at the keys of a sheer black grand piano, playing with the skill of a weathered professional. A smile came to her lips as she played what she considered the response to the song's question, the repeat of the beginning melody. No matter how many times she performed the piece, she always got lost in the beauty.

"Magnificent," a voice commented from behind her, coming from the connecting hallway. The delicate yet affirming tone reminded Avery of a red-shaded sunset. Without turning to see if her assertion was accurate, Avery knew it was Madame Angeline Fowl. She spoke in a manner similar to her son's, but softer and more comforting.

Avery placed her hands in her lap and turned to face her audience. "Thank you, Madame."

"Beckett likes, Beckett likes!" Beckett announced, clapping his hands madly. "It was so pretty!"

The smile on Avery's lips widened and she giggled. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Beckett Fowl."

"Yes, it was delightful," Myles added, staring at Avery. He had acquired the same analytical gaze that Artemis had, but it was less rigid. Not only that, but similar to his older brother, Myles held an arrogant aura of confidence.

"Play again, play again!" Beckett demanded, clapping his hands once more.

"Don't ask too much of our guest," Artemis Fowl Senior said, kneeling down to meet his son at eye level. "If she does not want to, do not force her to."

"Music has to come from the heart, not from the demands of the audience," Artemis incorporated. Avery didn't notice him there until he spoke. He leaned carelessly against the wall towards the back of the room.

"No, it's fine," Avery insisted. "Music is also meant to be shared." She turned back around and settled herself on the polished bench. She waited a moment, letting the calm silence sink in, before striking the first chord.

The family was mesmerized by the grace of the young woman. As she played, they immersed themselves in the message Avery was shouting out. Unlike most concert pianists, there was a unique depth to her style. She played for the sake of playing, rather than playing for the audience.

"Beethoven's third movement to the Moonlight Sonata... I am intrigued by your interpretation." Artemis watched as Avery's fingers grazed and danced across the black and white keys. In Avery's adaptation there was an immense amount of rage, but it was channeled into a controlled malice.

"Are you really?" she replied without turning to face Artemis. Despite diverting her attention, there was no pause or slight hesitation in the music.

"I play it a little slower, with less aggression and more agitation."

"I am intrigued by your interpretation, as well."

No one spoke after Avery, just listened. Now that Artemis had brought attention to it, the Fowl family analyzed the significance of Avery's style, rather than just enjoying the piece aesthetically. It told the story of true love and the denial of that love. There understanding of the circumstances, but the sense of betrayal could not be overridden. In the end, the individual accepted the loneliness and withdrew the heart forever.

Avery ended the piece and dropped her head to her chest. She could tell from the aura permeating from the Fowl's that they had received her statement, and was embarrassed by it. Although they couldn't see her face, out of habit, Avery snapped open her fan and covered her face except for the eyes.

Another individual entered the vast living room of the home. He bent over and picked up several of the luggage cases. "Master Fowl, Madame Fowl," Butler greeted with a nod of the head. "Welcome back to the manor."

"Thank you, Butler," Artemis Fowl Senior said as he nodded back towards his lifelong friend. "It is always wonderful to return home." He sunk himself further down into one of the several comfortable leather seats in the room. "As much as I love my own mother and father, I think a month with them is plenty enough."

Madame Fowl chuckled and shook her head. The entrancing spell of Avery's sorrow was broken and the family finally relaxed, truly glad to be home. "Arty, how have you been doing?"

"I am well, Mom." Artemis went over to his mother and hugged her. She kissed him on the forehead. "It had been rather quiet without the twins to wreak havoc all over the house."

A cacophony of sound assaulted the ears of everyone in the room as Beckett attempted to imitate Avery's playing. "And I already miss the silence," he added quickly just so his mother could hear. Avery had scooted over and had given enough space for Beckett to sit next to her at the upper register of the piano. Madame Fowl smiled and laughed once more.

Artemis Fowl Senior laughed heartily at his taciturn son, overhearing Artemis' remark. "You always dwelled in the silence of these halls."

"Yes, I always have, Father." Artemis shook hands with his father. They had grown close over the years after the Arctic Incident, but Artemis still had some difficulty overcoming the usual lack of physical contact with his father.

"Sir, Madame," Butler announced as he re-entered the room, "I would also like to formally introduce you to my daughter." He slid up next to Avery on her left and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This is Avery Lefleur."

Avery stood up and curtsied politely for the entire Fowl family. The fan in her left hand was flicked lightly for an extra flourish of formality. She put on a wide smile for show, but was displeased by the use of her mother's family name rather than Butler's. "The pleasure of this encounter is mine, Sir and Madame."

"Did Butler tell you how much you look like your mother?" Artemis Fowl Senior asked.

"He did not, but I have heard the same assertion from many others who knew her."

"If it weren't for your eyes, I would have guessed you to be Delilah," Angeline told Avery.

"Thank you, Madame Fowl." Avery dipped in a small obeisance.

"Will you join us for supper tonight?" Artemis asked as casually as possible. He wished to jump up, take her hand, and drag her to the dining hall himself. But with his family home and watching his every move, he reigned in his passions and held his decorum.

She shook her head politely. "No, thank you." She turned to face Butler. "Butler and I were hoping to have a quiet supper together." She noticed the very slight crestfallen look on Artemis' face. Angeline noticed it as well. "How about I eat with you tomorrow evening?" Avery added, hoping not to disappoint her counterpart too much.

Artemis nodded. "That is fine."

"Let us dine already, for I am hungry," Myles inserted. His elder brother's attempts at courting the young woman did not hold his attention very well. He was still too young to understand the reasons to Artemis' efforts. Beckett nodded his agreement.

"The food is ready whenever you are," Butler said.

The Fowl family nodded to one another before heading off to the dining hall, leaving Butler and Avery behind. Together, father and daughter, they turned in the opposite direction towards the kitchen, to serve the food. Once the entire family was settled around the table and satisfied, Butler and Avery withdrew to the kitchen to have their own private supper.

"Avery Lefleur is quite the spectacular gem, isn't she, Artemis?" Angeline asked while cutting herself a piece of steak.

Artemis ungracefully choked on the food in his mouth that was in the process of being swallowed. With as much composure as he could muster, he tried to cover up his evident surprise at his mother's inquiry. He averted his eyes for a moment, and then said, "I suppose you could say that."

Angeline chuckled at her son. "I can see it written all over your face."

---

**To be continued…**


	5. D2: The Whirlwind of a Beginning

**Avery's Note:** Holly is not one of my favorite characters, I will admit that. I may also not be an AFxHS fan, but that doesn't mean much either. I don't have anything against her, but I need an antagonist for my story. She happens to fill the roll nicely. And for all of you Holly Short fans, I am very sorry because she is quite OOC as well. Also, thank you all for reading and especially to those who review!

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** Avery Lefleur is warmly welcomed to the Fowl family. With the exception for Myles, it is obvious that the entire family has taken well to Butler's daughter. Artemis has, as well, found a special fondness for his guest.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

---

Chapter 5: D2: The Whirlwind of a Beginning

As the sun's morning rays splayed across Ireland and the birds began their symphony of sound, Avery Lefleur performed a few yoga exercises. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she lifted her arms above her head in the exalted warrior pose. Minutes later, she transposed into the second phase of the exalted warrior pose.

Avery thoroughly enjoyed early morning yoga. It helped her to have a stronger control over her mind and over her emotions. She knew that without performing yoga every once in a while, the white canvass that was her mind would be a hideous splay of dissident colors. The physical advantages were just side benefits to the psychological ones that she gained.

"Sun warrior," an amused voice commented next to her, "how about doing some real fighting?"

Avery opened both eyes and slowly stood up. She rolled her shoulders, loosening the muscles. Butler stood watching her, two wooden practice swords in his hands. He casually tossed one to her and she caught it just as easily.

"Anything for you, father."

Father and daughter exchanged blows and parries. They took turn playing the offensive and defensive rolls; however Avery had a propensity to take the offense. At the end of the one hour warm-up session, Butler and Avery began having informal matches.

No matter what Avery tried, she was unable to disarm her adversary. Butler was unequal in physical and mental fortification on the battlefield. It was only a matter of how long Avery could handle Butler's overwhelming patience. He danced around her, watching for the slightest muscle twitch that gave away Avery's movements.

Avery panted heavily, sweat covering her brow. Her loose fitting tunic was soaked with perspiration as well. She leaned on her wooden practice sword, trying to keep her balance with tired muscles. Although she exercised regularly, keeping up with her father proved to be quite the challenge. From the corner of her eye, she watched as her father did the same. His disadvantage was that he was getting old.

"You have a lot of fight in you," Butler said straightening up. "You could have been very successful in Madame Ko's Academy."

"It means a lot coming from you, Father." She bolted erect at the compliment. Anything that made her father proud of her made her beam with ecstasy. Avery smiled widely, as if she reverted back to being a little girl, seeking the approval of everyone so that she could prove to herself how wonderful she was.

"Are you up for another round?" Butler swung his sword up before him in a defensive positive with a half crescent motion. He flipped it into the air with his left hand and caught it with equal grace with his right hand. "Or are you going to accept defeat?" he joked lightly.

Avery laughed at Butler's ostentatious display of skill. Without any fancy display of aptitude, Avery brought her sword before her torso in a neutral position. "I shall never, in all of eternity, accept defeat."

"That's my girl," Butler said smiling.

The simple comment of familial ties broke Avery's concentration like twenty thousand kilograms of dynamite. Avery was once again so thrilled with having her father's approval that she dropped her defense and grinned from ear to ear. Giddy with delight, she had to muster as much self control as she could to stop from performing a corny victory dance.

A small smirk came onto Butler's lips. Before she could process another thought, the wooden weapon flew out of her hands and landed with a rough thud on the ground a few feet away. Avery's eyes widened as her father tapped her gently on the shoulder with the butt of his practice sword.

"Alright, alright," Avery playfully surrendered waving her hands up in the air. "I quit."

Butler ruffled her disorganized hair matted with sweat. "Don't feel bad, daughter. You're not supposed to be able to defeat me. Not today, not tomorrow, not-" Butler sidestepped Avery's uppercut punch. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. With a yelp, Avery fell to her knees and struggled against her father's one-handed tight grip.

"-ever," Butler finished, releasing his daughter. "Did you think I would miss something as obvious as that?"

"I hoped."

Avery smiled. Butler smiled back and laughed at the spunk in Avery. No matter what she did, he always found her to be an eclectic mix of both his and Delilah's personality. She had a vivacious spirit that could transform either to master assassin or high class lady. But what fascinated him most of all was how she hid her juvenile mentality and desire for a father from everyone beneath a rough facade.

Avery hugged her father briefly and disappeared into the Fowl manor. She raced up the steps and turned down the hall to her room. She stopped in her tracks for a moment for the door to the guest room was slightly ajar. Avery recalled having closed it completely before leaving to the practice grounds that morning.

Like the expert mercenary that she sometimes was, Avery pressed her back to the wall on the opposite side of the open angle of the door. She reached down to her left thigh and pulled a well kept SIG-Sauer from its holster. Silently, she clicked off the safety lock of the gun.

Avery waited for a few more minutes, getting an approximation of the intruder's location. There was the shuffling of papers; he or she was at the desk next to the window on the same side of the room as she was. Avery took a breath to calm down. Although nothing irked her more than strangers going through her work, she was not going to risk judgment error due to irritation. She also knew that it would take a professional to sneak past the Fowl's security system.

The lithe silhouette of a woman reaching about one and a half meters stood at the desk, flipping intently through Avery's black book. She wore a shimmering, skintight jumpsuit unlike anything Avery's every seen. The woman's helmet was on the desk, revealing pointy ears protruding from the crew cut auburn hair. However, she was very beautiful.

For a moment, Avery forgot about her work and was lost in the curiosity of who this individual was. And the person was definitely not human, which was even more fascinating. Avery pushed the thoughts of intrigue away and refocused herself on the task that needed accomplishing.

Her shoes made no sound as she entered and crossed the wooden floor of the room. Avery stood an arm's length away from the woman. She released a shot that grazed past the woman's pointed ear. In a split second, the other flipped around and swung a punch. Avery was far enough away that the short arms missed her by just a few millimeters. Using the shock of the individual to her advantage, Avery ran in close and slammed the small body into the desk.

With one hand, Avery held the creature's hands behind her back. With the other, she pressed her SIG-Sauer into the woman's temple. The woman struggled against Avery's hold, but Avery wasn't going to let the intruder go anytime soon. Despite Avery's inherent interest in this non-human being, Avery was ready to kill her if it meant protecting her separate identity.

The captured and pinned person gave up struggling when she finally felt the cool metal pressed against her pale skin. There was nothing that could help her situation now except for a grand stroke of luck. She closed her eyes and concentrated on slowing her breathing. The best option was to have a clear head.

"Who are you?" demanded Avery, applying a little more pressure with her gun on the small woman's temple. As proved previously with her encounter with Butler, patience was a lesser of one of Avery's virtues.

"Are you related to Butler, by chance?"

"Who are you?" Avery demanded once more.

"Answer my question first."

"You are in no position to ask questions."

Avery twisted her wrist a few degrees away and shot another bullet straight into the polished wood of the refined desk. "Theodore Roosevelt had the political philosophy of 'speaking softly and carrying a big stick.' But sometimes, there are some who are too stupid to understand the metaphor until the stick starts beating," Avery whispered softly.

"D'Arvit," The woman cursed under her breath. "You do know that killing me won't accomplish anything?"

"It doesn't mean I won't."

The other female winced at the aggression of her captor. The oppressor, Avery, reminded her of Artemis when he first encountered the fairies. He was reckless and willing to do whatever it took to achieve his ends. Apparently whatever information the black book held, it was strictly confidential.

The woman didn't say anything in response. Avery, growing frustrated, pressed the woman harder into the desk, pushing the air out of her lungs.

"Who are you?" Avery stipulated.

"Holly!" Artemis shouted from the doorway. Holly swiveled her head to look at her friend, relief flooding her face. She doubted she had ever been so excited to see him, which was something considering how much Holly had warmed up the boy. His mouth was agape at the sight before him.

"Avery, what are you doing?"

"I am sorry, but I do not appreciate strange persons going through my files." Avery tucked her gun back into the holster on her left thigh in a smooth motion and released Holly. "And I did not know she was a friend of yours." In a half-hearted gesture, Avery offered her hand to Holly it attempts to help her.

Holly, knowing that the act was not sincere, ignored it.

Artemis was not sure whether to laugh or cry. The irony of the situation made him want to roll of the floor guffawing hysterically, but he was very relieved that Avery had not killed his friend. It took him a few moments to recover from his paroxysms of laughter.

"You understand that this is partly your fault."

Holly sighed, realizing the significance of Artemis jumping to the black opal eyed woman's defense. "Yeah, I know," she said waving her hand as if being apprehended by other young women was a normal occurrence. "Next time I should be more careful."

Avery snapped her fan open to cover her rude smile and laughed at the comment. After she regained her composure, she closed the fan and presented her free hand to Holly. This time, it was an honest movement.

"Avery Lefleur."

"Holly Short."

Holly accepted the offered hand and shook it firmly. They locked eyes and neither of them wanted to back down. Artemis, not wanting the situation turning into another hostile situation, cleared his throat self-consciously. Both the females turned to look at him with eyebrows raised. Artemis averted his eyes from the harsh glares from Holly and Avery.

"Wait… Do you mean Lefleur as in THE LEFLEURS?" Holly asked incredulously, turning her attention back to Avery.

Avery brought out the fan again and opened it with an annoyed snap. Somehow, she was not able to conjure much patience for the other woman. She was also confused by Holly's sudden attention in her family. "Yes. How do you know my family?"

Holly turned to Artemis. "Do you understand the power position you are in right now? You have the heir to the second most powerful black market family standing in your home!"

Artemis shrugged. "My family and I only have qualms with Janelle. Avery is clean, not to mention Butler would not be a very happy man if we killed her."

"Same question from before: are you related to Butler, Avery?" Holly asked.

"I am his daughter."

"I figured as much." Avery glared at the woman, demanding answers without saying anything. Holly rolled her eyes and continued, "You carry a SIG-Sauer and although you don't have the same eyes as Butler, you can wield them the same way."

"Thank you. But that still doesn't answer my question."

---

**To be continued…**


	6. D3: Small Secrets

**Avery's Note:** I've been working fairly hard to fix the shallowness of Avery. I don't want to make her flaws too obvious because then she'll seem even more fake. Also, because I got a few comments concerning the topic, there is no significant relation between my character and me. I was too dull to come up with a different name when I started, and I just really like the name.

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** After catching Holly Short shuffling through her black book, Avery and Holly start their tense friendship on a sour note. Artemis attempts to reconcile the two, but Holly is displeased with Artemis' disposition towards favoring Avery more than her.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

---

Chapter 6: D3: Small Secrets

Waking up with the stuffed animal face of an adorable baby owl with large golden eyes in her own was not something Avery had planned on experiencing during her stay at Fowl Manor. The overwhelming shock coupled with a tinge of fear gripped tightly on Avery's heart had her brain revert automatically to reflexes. Without actual conscious thought, Avery pulled her SIG-Sauer off from her nightstand and placed a couple bullets through the poor creature's forehead.

It took only seconds for the loud bangs of the gun trigger to reverberate throughout the entire home. Everyone was jolted awake in their beds and confused as to what exactly was going on. The dawn had just broke, slivers of barely graced the grounds of Fowl Manor. For the most part, the house was still dwelling in the night's dissipating darkness. It was early even by Artemis' insomniac standards.

Avery's bedroom door flew open and Butler stood in the doorway, his own SIG-Sauer prepared for action. His calculating eyes swept across the room for the perpetrator, the entry way, and the exit way. At the same time, he processed his environment and examined the battle damage of the stuffed owl and the bullets in the adjacent wall to Avery.

Still riding on the autonomic nervous system high, Avery swung her arm around and pointed her gun and Butler as he burst into the room. Butler reacted involuntarily as well, and aimed his gun at his daughter. They stood there in a deadlock, trying to assess the situation without causing unneeded bloodshed.

"Avery, calm down. It was just a stuffed animal," the man cooed gently. Butler lowered his gun first and slipped in back into its shoulder holster. He walked slowly towards Avery, her gun still pointed at the spot on the bridge of his nose right between the eyes. "Avery, you are safe."

Avery took a few moments to calm her heart down and lower the gun. "I'm sorry, Father. I was very surprised by the owl."

Butler sat down on the side of the bed next to his daughter. He comfortingly wrapped and arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the crown of her head. "It is alright, Avery. I would have done the same." Avery tilted her head up and looked askance at Butler.

"Fine," Butler admitted, "I would have probably done it differently. But the general reaction would have been the same." Avery giggled a little at the thought of Butler's giant hand wrapped around the animal's neck, suffocating the air out of its lungs before it even realized it was in pain.

A serious atmosphere settled itself over Avery. She frowned at the damage she wrought upon the innocent stuffed animal. She cursed herself mentally for having a violent tendency and causing an unwanted scene. Not only was there a destroyed owl on her floor with stuffing all over the area, there was more damage to the Fowls' furniture.

Avery's thoughts were shattered as a high whine escaped the lips of a little boy standing in the doorway. Beckett bit his lower lip and tried to fight off the tears that were beginning to leak from his eyes. Avery figured that it must have belonged to him.

"How did he get here?" Avery asked with as much sympathy as she could muster. Not having grown up with stuffed animals and adults to nurture her childish imagination, Avery wasn't sure how to handle the situation. She jumped out of bed and knelt before the weeping child.

"You were... you were… loud… in your… in your… sleep…" Beckett chocked out between the heaves of his sob. "So I… let you… let you… borrow him…"

Avery was touched by Beckett's kindness. She smiled warmly. Internally, several alarms went off in her mind. "I hope I didn't say anything that is going to jeopardize my objective," Avery thought to herself. "I also don't want the entire Fowl family against me at a time like this."

"Thank you," Avery finally said to Beckett, pulling away from her fears of losing her opportunity of taking Butler. "I can get you another one, if you would like."

"No!" Beckett shouted at Avery, still emotional about the death of his beloved animal. "You can't replace Mr. Kilroy!" He ran his hand under his nose, wiping away the snot that had begun to accumulate there. Avery tried her best not to wince and withdraw to bathroom too wash her hands.

"Mr. Kilroy?" Avery asked. She looked up at Artemis, who had appeared behind Becket with the rest of the family, and raised a questioning eyebrow. Artemis just smiled innocently and shrugged. Taking that for as a temporary answer, Avery let the thought slide to the back of her mind.

"Let's make him a war hero." Angeline Fowl pushed past her eldest son and waltzed into the room. She scooped up her crying son into her arms and comforted him gently. She smiled at Avery, saying with her expression, "Don't worry about this little situation."

"Butler can patch him up and make him a true soldier. Is that okay?" Angeline asked her son. Beckett nodded, drying his eyes with the sleeve of his night shirt.

"Butler, do you mind?"

"Of course not, Madame Fowl," Butler replied.

As the Fowl family disappeared down the hallway to comfort Beckett's temporary loss of Mr. Kilroy, Holly walked in to assess the damage. She took a look at the limp animal dwarfed in Butler's hands. It was going to take a very large patch and a lot of stuffing to return Mr. Kilroy back to good health.

"Nice aim," Holly said while examining the point of entry the bullets lodged into the wall. The angle was almost or exactly perpendicular, and all the bullets were clustered in the same seven centimeter diameter.

"Thank you."

"I'm joking."

Avery shot a glare full of daggers at Holly. No words we required for Holly to receive Avery's malicious thoughts.

"And just so you know," Holly said turning around to face Avery, "you will be meeting some of my friends tomorrow." Avery nodded. "Under no circumstances are you to put caps in them," Holly added, using the slang term to shoot someone. With that conclusive statement, Holly left the room as well.

The day before, after the unfortunate meeting, Artemis had begun to explain his unique relationship with Holly and the fairy people. Avery recalled the information, but she had not found the time to adequately process what it all meant. It did not mean much to her for she was not interested in involving herself socially or financially with them, but Avery's interest was slightly peaked at the mention of meeting some more fairies. She wondered if they all had temperaments like Holly.

With a mental shrug, Avery focused her attention on her father, who was making rapid repairs to the bird. At some point during her thinking spell, Butler left to retrieve an advanced sewing kit, fluffy stuffing, and an appropriately sized patch for the wound.

Avery took the project from Butler and sat down on the bed. As she began to stitch the pieces together, she said, "I'll finish the rest of it. It's my fault that this even happened."

Butler let Avery work, pushing aside his aversion to Avery working and acknowledging the psychological benefits. There would be less of a guilt trip for her than if he did it himself. Applying the general concept of wartime politics, a little discomfort is worth the payoff.

Not really sure what he should be doing now that his work was taken from him, but not wanting to lose time with his daughter, Butler just sat and watched. He pushed a strand of her black hair from her eyes and tucked it behind on of her ears. As he did so, Butler acutely noticed how much of a resemblance she had to Delilah.

His heart sank a little at the thought of the only love of his life; he would never be able to love another as he did her so many years ago. Delilah was dead, and he had unintentionally killed her. If was not careful, Avery might follow the same path of depression.

Butler pulled a wallet from the one of his pants pocket and found the picture of him and Delilah on the fateful night they had met. No matter where he went, Butler always had the special photograph of them. It was the first and the last they would ever take together.

Despite all the time that had passed, the original was still in magnificent condition. It showed how much Butler prized this particular item.

The photographer snapped the intimate picture without asking permission. Butler had been lounging back in the love seat, one arm wrapped protectively around Delilah. She was looking into Butler's dark navy blue eyes, a wide smile upon her lips. Butler was laughing, the expression of pure merriment on his features. Delilah fit so perfectly in the crook of his arm.

They looked perfect together.

"You miss her, don't you?" Avery prompted. She set the healed Mr. Kilroy on her lap and looked solemnly at Butler. There seemed to be a more grave texture to his face.

Butler looked up from the photo and at Avery. "Yes, I do."

Avery nodded her agreement. "I do too."

"Sometimes I wonder how I was ever able to leave her."

The comment made Avery's heart plunge. So much would have been different if Butler had made the decision to stay with Delilah. Most significant of all she would have had a father, a family. Avery did not regret anything she did, but she mourned at the loss of what she could have had.

She took the photo, still in the billfold, from Butler and took a long look at it. Avery then began to shuffle through some of the other pictures that Butler held dearest. There was one of him with Artemis Fowl Senior sitting the cockpit of a helicopter. There was one of him with the younger Artemis, when he was still an infant. There was one of him with his Uncle, Major, on the day of Butler's graduation from Madame Ko's. There were also a few of him with Juliet, all at important times in Juliet's life.

"You have one empty space," Avery commented.

"Are you done with Mr. Kilroy?" Butler asked, changing the subject. He held open his hand to Avery. Avery held Mr. Kilroy up to Butler for inspection. The handicraft, although not as high in quality as Butler's, was well done. Avery successfully passed another unintended obstacle.

"Give it back to Master Beckett." Butler stood up and pulled Avery to her feet with him. He ushered her out to the living room, where an anxious Beckett was waiting for the return of Mr. Kilroy. The young Fowl appeared to lapse into a catatonic state of depression on the leather sofa.

Artemis stood in the doorway to the living room, watching Beckett's facial expression as Avery produced a repaired Mr. Kilroy from behind her back. Giddy with excitement, Beckett jumped up and wrapped his little arms around Avery's neck tightly. Avery exaggerated a smile and hugged him back.

Beckett held on tightly more a few moments, impressing his gratitude upon the girl. Then, he grabbed Mr. Kilroy from the floor and dashed up the stairs to his father's study. "Look!" his ecstatic voice reverberated through the halls as he shouted his glee to his parents. "Mr. Kilroy is now a battle hero!"

"Why can't I be the one who gets hugged all the time by Avery?" Artemis mumbled quietly. The cheery nature of the scene before him turned sour as his hormones swayed his thoughts. He knew there was no logical basis as to why he should be jealous of his younger brother, but knowing that did not give him the control he wanted on his emotions. Artemis turned around and started walking, not really caring for where he was going.

As he walked brooding down the halls, Artemis bumped into someone else. He fell backward from the ricochet of the impact, but a pair of strong arms caught him in his decent. With some help from the other, Artemis was back on his feet and readjusting his clothing.

It was Butler.

The manservant took one look at the miserable, lovesick boy. "Artemis," Butler started.

"Oh, hello, Butler," Artemis said quickly, hardly making eye contact. He stepped to the side to let Butler pass. "Busy day, isn't it?" he asked dully. They stood there for a moment, one not willing to have a conversation and the other not willing to start one. But when Butler did not move to pass him, Artemis walked around his bodyguard.

Butler put out his arm and stopped Artemis by placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Artemis. Look at me."

"What is it, Butler?"

Butler looked straight down into the miss-matched eyes of his young charge. Those eyes almost seemed symbolic of the relationship that was expected of Artemis and Holly. In the depths of his heart, he hoped Artemis and Avery would make a compatible match. He hoped that maybe it would work out between them. Butler knew, however, that it would be best if they didn't take that chance.

"Do not become involved with Avery," the frowning bodyguard stated.

---

**To be continued…**


	7. D4: The Enemy Within

**Avery's Note:** The plot continues to thicken… Enjoying reading and please review!

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** After accidently destroying Beckett's stuffed owl, Avery has the task of repairing him. At the same time, Avery learns a little more about her mysterious father. Butler also is also aware of Artemis' attraction to Avery, and warns against it.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

Chapter 7: D4: The Enemy Within

It was a very rare occurrence for Artemis to experience a deep mood of sentimentality. But as he watched Butler train with his daughter, he couldn't help but feel a bittersweet combination of emotion. It was without a doubt that Butler was at his happiest when he could just be a father. Yet, Artemis did not want to lose his best friend and bodyguard.

Artemis sipped his espresso, his thoughts wandering. He unconsciously drummed his fingers on the ceramic tiling of the table.

Holly joined him shortly later, sipping her own cup of espresso. She was not particularly fond of the drink, but she drank it only out of human social custom. She dropped down into the other patio seat and let out a sigh as she ensconced herself in the foam cushions.

"She's clean, "Holly said to Artemis without looking at him after a few moments of silence.

"Pun intended?" Artemis quipped. He had a growing talent for producing dry witticisms and double entendres. Under normal circumstances, he would have been embarrassed by his inability to make solid humorous jokes; however, Artemis felt comfortable enough around Holly as to not care to what she thought of him personally.

"Cleaner than me," an oily voice replied from the other side of Artemis. Artemis turned to his left and was greeted by the smiling face of Mulch Diggums.

Artemis cracked a small smile and took another sip of his coffee. "Even at their dirtiest, everyone is cleaner than you."

Mulch shook some loose dirt from his clothes before pulling a small disc from his pocket. The device whirled softly for a moment before creating a three dimensional holographic screen. The figure of a centaur typing furiously on his keyboard, his ringers flying across the keys, appeared.

"Well, Foaly, what did you expect to find about Avery in your databases?" Artemis asked after clearing his throat politely.

"The usual criminal records," he replied. "The Fowls have one the size of a small library and you might have missed something."

Artemis was slightly taken back by the indirect insult, but let it go. "She's not a Fowl."

"She could be."

Another unexpected reaction was elicited from the young man. There were several different ways that simple comment could be interpreted and he wasn't sure which one he was supposed to accept. Luckily, he did not need to make a comment back as Avery jumped in the conversation.

"I'm a Lefleur. I shall always be one," Avery shouted from her position a few feet away.

With Butler following, she walked over to the small gathering. She examined Foaly's high definition holographic image. Her face was completely expressionless; one could not tell if she was even intrigued or disgusted.

"You must be Mister Foaly, Miss Short's partner."

The creature snorted loudly and pounded his fist on the table. Holly brought her hands to her mouth to hide a crude snicker. The two found the comment to be insanely hilarious. Avery, not appreciating the response, turned to Artemis for an explanation.

"They're not really partners," Mulch clarified for Artemis. "They just work together in the police force and are good friends. I honestly believe that they fight each other more than they get along sometimes."

Avery nodded to herself, attaching the image with the mental note she already had of the centaur. Then she turned her attention to the dwarf, who she had selectively chosen to ignore due to him being the source of the cacophonous assault on her nose. "And you must be Mulch Diggums."

"Mulch Diggums at your service, always." Mulch took a grandiose bow, allowing more dirt to escape from his clothes and spill all over the patio.

"I will make sure to use it to my advantage."

"I'm sure you will," Holly muttered sarcastically under her breath. Avery shot her a quick death glare, but decided to hold off her ire for later.

"Well, it was pleasure meeting all of you," Avery said with a flat tone, excusing herself. "I look forward to our future interactions." The cold expression on her face was a stark contrast to the words she said. Without a pause, she turned on her heels and headed into the manor.

"Avery will warm up to you," Butler said, trying to defend his daughter's rude behavior. "It just takes a little time."

Everyone smiled weakly at Butler, trying to make him feel better. They all knew and understood Avery carried a bitter disposition and that there was nothing they could do to change her.

Holly stood up and patted Butler on the arm. "Let me talk to her. We had a bad start and maybe I can do something to remedy the situation a little."

The elf took her leave from her friends, thinking of what to say to Avery when she saw her. Holly did not really want to become friends with the other girl, but she knew she would feel guilty if she did not try because Butler secretly wanted her to.

With an inward sigh, Holly lifted her fist to knock on Avery's door. She suddenly stopped in mid-motion, hearing Avery's cellular phone vibrate noisily on the desk. In a few seconds, the call was answered.

"Avery."

Holly, wanting to listen in on the conversation, pushed the door open just a small crack. She peeked through the small opening.

The afternoon light crept through the cracks of the window, illuminating the grand room with a pale sheen. Avery spoke softly into the receiver of her phone. She paced absentmindedly back and forth across her room. The atmosphere of the room gave Avery an almost sadistic appearance.

"Already given."

"Alex."

Holly waited through another pause in the conversation. She hoped that Foaly was recording the conversation because she wanted to know what exactly this plan of Avery's was.

"Eventually you will, Alex. After I'm done here, you and I will be spending a lot more time in each others' company."

"Alex, I am aware that you're new to fraternity and are still full of uncertainty. But you must have more faith in me. I know how to run my company, which means I do not need you to reiterate basic concepts to me as if I am merely a child."

"Having substantial power is not my ultimate priority. Everything I have done in my lifetime is for my father."

Holly was rather surprised that someone of her gentle demeanor could have such a vicious bite when annoyed. There was a pause as Avery listened to the voice on the other end. It wasn't the first time, though, that Holly had evidence to prove that Avery was not as sweet as she would like to seem.

"Get it done." Avery ended the conversation and sighed as she massaged her temples. She tossed the phone down lightly on the desk and sat down in the swivel chair at the desk. Avery opened her black portfolio, flipped through a few pages, and scribbled notes.

Holly banged loudly on the door before poking her entire head through the doorway. Avery looked up from her work at her, but didn't say anything. Her hand continued to write whatever it was she was writing.

"Incompetent subordinates?" Holly asked, pushing open the door wider.

"How long had you been listening?" The fan that continuously annoyed Holly was snapped open and used to cover Avery's expression.

"I just heard you say, 'Get it done.'" Holly lied although had heard all of the one-sided telephone call.

Avery did not comment back.

"Avery, I just came by to say after what happened earlier, it is clear that we aren't friends. I want to do something about this because it is slowly killing Butler."

"Thank you for your concern about my father."

Holly interpreted Avery's comment as a dismissive one and withdrew from her room. "D'Arvit," Holly cursed to herself as she stormed down the hallway. She rolled her eyes as she reflected on how she even wanted to make peace with Avery.

"Foaly, did you tap the conversation?" she asked as she placed her LEP helmet on.

"Do I like to eat carrots?"

"No," Holly replied stoically.

Foaly rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "It was a rhetorical question. Of course I did, Holly."

"Good. I don't care what it takes. I just about hate her as much as I hate Koboi."

"That's a big charge to make, Holly."

"I know, but it's true." Holly pressed a fist into the palm of her other hand. "Just play me the recording."

"_Avery."_

"_May I have the permission to speak freely?" _The voice was a beautiful male tenor, it was evident his vocal chords were also well trained to adapt a variety of different languages and dialects. The speaker also lacked any emotional intonation to the question; he was completely professional.

"_Already given," _Avery replied just as empty.

"_Avery." _There was now gentleness to the voice on the other line. It was almost tender, full of an unconditional affection and a lover's concern.

"_Alex." _The same affection was returned in the tone Avery used.

"_I will never get used to it. You're the only one who calls me by that name."_ He laughed.

"_Eventually you will, Alex. After I'm done here, you and I will be spending a lot more time in each others' company."_

"_When do you intend on finishing this particular project? As you are most likely aware of, building nuclear facilities is something that raises the suspicion of other agents. It is important that you make a public appearance clearing up this situation. I don't think we need this to be added to the motley crew of enemies we already have."_

"_Alex, I am aware that you're new to fraternity and are still full of uncertainty. But you must have more faith in me. I know how to run my company, which means I do not need you to reiterate basic concepts to me as if I am merely a child."_

"_Avery… Is getting back your father really worth all of this work?"_

Anger swelled in Avery's chest. She put her all efforts to claim back Butler. Had Alex been physically present, she would have slapped him across the face. _"Having substantial power is not my ultimate priority. Everything I have done in my lifetime is for my father."_

A mischievous smile spread across Holly's lips as she listened and absorbed all the information she could. Although not keen on literally throwing Avery's reputation to the ground, Holly wanted to know what incriminating evidence could be used to do so. "What can you tell me about our friend?"

Foaly sent an image to Holly on her LEP helmet.

The first thing Holly noticed was the piercing gaze of the young man's dark grey eyes, which contrasted the silver light of his short hair. It was evident that he knew he had both unsurpassed physical and mental strength, and he was well aware of what he is capable of doing. There was a maliciously suggestive smile on his lips and his posture radiated an atmosphere of business. In fact, everything about him signified someone who took everything seriously. He dressed in a solid black suit, white collared shirt, red sweater vest, black tie, black dress shoes, black belt, and black gloves.

"Alexander Ulyanov, personal assistant of our very dear friend Avery Lefleur," Foaly said with as much of a straight face as he could. It was difficult for Holly gave a slight snort at the "our very dear friend" clause Foaly intentionally added.

"Alex and Avery are very close friends. She met him around the time of her mother's death," Foaly continued.

"The Ulyanovs are to the Lefleurs as the Butlers are to the Fowls," Foaly continued, all jokes aside. "But instead of learning martial arts and such, they are political specialists. The Lefleurs are the black-handed puppet masters of the world because the Ulyanovs are their dark strings that pull the puppet of the governments."

Fingers flew across the keyboard as the files concerning the criminals were pulled on screen. "The surname Ulyanov is not something used lightly. Each family member is not related genetically, but rather you are invited to join. After being accepted into the ranks of these specialists, one swears ultimate allegiance to the leader of the Lefleurs."

An image of Delilah Lefleur appeared on Holly's screen. She was a lovely woman with a charismatic aura, sparkling eyes, and a brilliant smile. Holly noticed the similarities in Avery and Delilah's beauty.

"Now, the title of Lefleur is transferred through the mother. If Delilah Lefleur was still alive, then she would be in charge. However, she is not, thus the responsibility falls upon Avery."

"I thought that Janelle was the woman at the head of the family."

"Yes, you're right. I expect that your reaction to Avery being a Lefleur was of surprise, right? She's the supposed heir to the second most powerful black market family. You wouldn't expect her to walk right into the home of the Fowls, would you?"

"I'm mystified why the Fowls haven't found this out for themselves…" Holly mused.

"Holly, if you look at the compilation of all the information in the universe, you not find anything incriminating against Avery. She's just your beautiful genius born into a wealthy family. If the any police force came after her, there is no basis for arresting except relation by family name. But cross-reference her profile with Janelle's, and you find that there are distinct, but not immediately obvious, similarities."

"It is not possible for both Artemis and Butler could have missed these links…"

"Janelle is just a fake identity. It's a title used when she doesn't want any personal business going on. And here's one more interesting detail, the Fowls do not take fondly to Janelle. She bought out the nuclear power facilities all across the globe before Artemis could."

Holly nodded, absorbing all the information presented to her in the past few minutes. Her intelligent mind was already beginning to plan a variety of ways to use it to her advantage. With a shrug to herself, Holly began to lift the helmet from her head.

"And Holly," Foaly continued, this time with a more personal curiosity in his tone of voice, "I understand that we both deeply respect Fowl and wish the best for him. But what I can't understand are the motives you have for turning the girl into an enemy."

"She is already my enemy."

"Excuse me?"

Holly set the helmet down. "I simply have my reasons."

**To be continued…**


	8. D5: When Push Comes to Shove

**Avery's Note:** Picking up where I left off a few years ago… Hopefully I can remember which direction I'm heading, haha.

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** As the days pass, Avery slowly begins to lose the façade of the sweet young woman as she becomes more impatient. With Foaly's aid, Holly uncovers the story behind Avery. Holly and Avery unofficial declare war upon each other as each fight for her own deeply personal reasons.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

Chapter 8: D5: When Push Comes to Shove

Avery tapped her fingers on the desktop, absentmindedly playing along to the classical tune in her mind. Today was the fifth day of her stay at the Fowl Manor and as far as she was aware, she wasn't very close to succeeding her mission. She had indeed bonded with her father, along with Artemis and his family. However, accurately cynical Holly Short was a roadblock. Avery was not sure how much influence this character had in terms of spreading the mistrust to Artemis.

The entire operation was very delicate. Avery knew that if she just told about a slight betrayal on Butler's part, Artemis would be so wounded he wouldn't miss the presence of his man servant. At the same time, however, Avery wanted her father's love; hurting Artemis that deeply had the potential of fostering Butler's resentment against her.

The young woman sighed heavily and allowed herself to slouch in the chair. It would have been so much easier if she could have done the entire operation guns blazing. Anonymously assassinate the opposition and her father, with no where left to go, would come home. A slight grin crossed her features as Avery imagined what the scene would look like if she sent Alex to do some dirty work.

"Maybe using a guns blazing tactic isn't such a bad idea…" she murmured to herself. "Who should I send in the commando squad?"

Meanwhile, in a neighboring room, Holly sat with her legs crossed on the bed. Although her eyes were closed, Holly was not resting. Holly knew it would only be two more days until Avery was physically gone, but it would take months to erase her from everyone's memory. Artemis had a strong, obvious attraction to the Lefluer. And Butler was never going to forget the only time he crossed paths with his daughter.

"The best defense is sometimes a strong offense," Foaly interjected, breaking the early morning silence.

"I don't think Butler would appreciate me dispatching of his daughter."

"You thought I was suggesting murder?" Foaly scoffed indignantly. "I was going for making a scene; drive her out of the house because she's too ashamed to come back."

Holly did not respond right away, her mind churning with all the incriminating evidence she possess against Avery. "It feels too simplistic."

"Simple is sometimes the best way to go."

"Nothing is simple in this manor, however."

"Like your feelings towards Artemis," Foaly joked.

"Excuse me?" Holly raged across the intercom.

"Calm down. It was joke, but apparently there is a nugget of truth because of your reaction." There was a pause. "Are you jealous?"

"No, I am not jealous," Holly grumbled. "Even though I don't want to admit it, Artemis has helped prevent things from turning for the worse. This is a chance for me to return the favor."

"So you're going to protect him from a girl he doesn't want to be protected from?"

"That's because he doesn't know how dangerous she is."

It was a few hours following lunch that Holly decided to confront Avery. The young woman was having tea by herself on the patio on the far side of the garden. By the way Avery didn't say much, Holly assumed that the young woman was receiving updates about various projects from her subordinate Alex.

After a few minutes, Avery played with her fan, turning it around and around in her hands. She fingered the intricate lace pattern along the edge and traced her fingers along the flowers painted on the fan itself. Apparently Alex didn't anything interesting to say, either.

"What are you going to do, Janelle?" Holly deactivated her cloaking device seconds after Avery ended the conversation and took a sip of her now lukewarm tea. Holly didn't move to stand within Avery's line of sight and Avery didn't turn to look at the elf.

Avery did not react quite as how Holly expected. Had Avery suspected that Holly knew Avery's secret from the beginning? There was no change of expression, not hint of worry.

"The same as I always do: win."

Holly slowly started circling around the table. "And you don't care how you win."

"In the fashion of Machiavelli, the ends justify the means."

Pausing from fanning herself, Avery snapped it closed and pointed it accusingly at Holly.

"Do you feel threatened by me?" Avery asked Holly with an eerie calm. "You think I'm in this for Artemis?" The young woman then laughed as if the thought was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard. Despite the condescension in her words, the laughter still managed to sound like gently tinkling bells. It struck Holly as the ultimate paradox.

Holly had never seen such anger in anyone's eyes before. It was especially shocking coming from a young woman who seemed to be so perfect in every way. Only a few would have guessed her to be harboring such hatred that it turned the heart pure black.

"You can have the boy for all I give a damn! I do not love him and I will never love him." Avery smirked. "All I want is my father, and I will do whatever it takes to get him."

As if on cue, Butler appeared at the edge of the other side of the lawn and waved at his daughter. Avery waved politely back, a wide smile on her face. She beckoned her father to come and join her. Avery then snapped the fan open and continued with her afternoon tea, as if the conversation with Holly had never happened.

Holly spun smartly on her heels and marched off. She knew that there was no other option except to drop the truth on Artemis; she resolved herself to expose all of Avery's secrets and turn Artemis as much as she could against the young woman. If Avery was just planning of crushing the young man's soul, Holly would beat her to the punch and do it more gently.

The opportunity presented itself just a few hours later. Artemis and Avery had retired to their respective rooms to handle some family business. Knocking gently, Holly let herself into Artemis' office and approached Artemis from behind. Holly waited patiently for Artemis to reach a breaking point on whatever it was he was doing.

"We need to talk about Janelle," Holly announced as his typing slowed down.

"Janelle?" Although not particularly common, the name at first did not have any meaning to Artemis.

"Lefluer."

"Yes, of course." Artemis turned in his seat to regard his elf friend with his full attention. "What about Janelle? There has not been much activity in their department for a few weeks."

"It's Avery. Janelle is the dainty young woman in the spare bedroom down the hall."

"I assumed as much. With her mother dead and no other close living relatives, it would only be logical that Avery inherit the title." Artemis considered it for a moment. "Strange isn't it, having the opposition so readily exposed to you?"

"And you are… not upset?" Holly was more confused than ever. "You just said you were nemeses! How are you so calm about all of this?"

"Janelle got the best of me with the nuclear power plant fiasco several years ago. Avery is Butler's daughter; for his sake if for no other reason, I will forgive her."

"And you don't resent her for playing Butler against you?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Butler has never betrayed me."

"Would you still believe that against the evidence?" Shacking just slightly from the nerves, Holly handed her helmet to Artemis, were all the information had been relayed. Holly knew that this had the potential to break Artemis' relationship with his man servant, but like Avery, this was the point of no return and she had to win at all costs.

Artemis accepted the helmet from his friend, but did not put it on. "I've already examined the fiasco several times. There is no way Butler could have worked against me."

Holly frowned. "I know it's hard, but you have to reconsider." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Artemis, I care about you. That evil woman is not going to let you win; I want you to be prepared."

"Thank you, Holly," Artemis replied. He offered her helmet back to her. "I think I can take care of myself."

The elf withdrew her hand and scooped up her helmet. As she turned to leave, Holly said, "I'll reroute the information to your database; it will be there if you change your mind."

**To be continued…**


	9. D6: Laying Out the Truth

**Avery's Note:** N/A

**Summary:** Butler is an enigma. Butler's past is even more secretive than the man himself. When a young woman shows up claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, his world is turned upside down and inside out. Must he now choose between having the family he always wanted or his young master, Artemis?

**The story thus so far:** Having reached the point of no return, Avery and Holly have to reconsider their strategies. Holly decides to tell Artemis about how Butler betrayed Artemis years ago in favor of Avery, hoping it will get Artemis to see how evil the young Lefleur is.

**Just Tell Me You Love Me**

Chapter 9: D6: Laying Out the Truth

Artemis' fingers twitched. The restraint he had been exercising actually made his muscles sore.

Since yesterday afternoon, Artemis had to work at preventing himself from looking at the incriminating evidence against Butler that Holly had presented to him. Even though some part of him knew that Butler played a direct role in Avery winning that time, Artemis did not want to entertain the idea that Butler had actually betrayed him.

However, now, almost fourteen hours later, Artemis felt a strange compulsion to look though the evidence.

The young man rolled over onto his side and reached over to grope at his nightstand, feeling for his cellular telephone. Aretmis' fingers graced the smooth plastic of the frame, but it was just out of grasping reach. Stretching his fingers a little further, Artemis knocked the telephone to the ground.

There was a loud thud that echoed around the silent manor. Grumbling, the tired young man leaned out of bed and groped for his telephone at the foot of his nightstand.

"I'm only doing this so I can learn how to cover my tracks better," Artemis justified to himself as he powered up the device.

Artemis' eyes flew across the words, the images, and the links. As he absorbed every piece of information and with each passing moment, he could not fight the growing unease in his stomach. There now was no way for him to deny Butler's betrayal.

"Surprised?" a gentle, feminine voice asked from the darkness. Avery emerged from the dark corner of his room, a soft smile on her lips.

Artemis was speechless. He merely stared at the beautiful young woman.

Avery sat down at the foot Artemis' bed, the smile still on her lips. The light emitted by his telephone illuminated the angelic contours of her face and reflected back out of her dark opal eyes. As much as Artemis was repulsed by Butler's betrayal on her behalf, he was physically attracted to the young woman.

"Please allow me to lay out the truth for you," Avery continued, moving a little closer to Artemis. She placed a hand on his knee. "

"I am Janelle. Similar to you, I inherited my family's legacy when I was very young." She paused. "Also similar to you, I had a missing father and a mother that was essentially destroyed by depression." She paused again. "But unlike you, I no longer have a mother and am still fighting to get my father back."

Avery moved closer to Artemis; she placed her hand next to his hip, her arm reaching across his body. Artemis' heart started to beat a fraction more quickly.

"Remember when you issued the order to have Janelle dispatched? Butler did not know my mother had already committed suicide. Can you his imagine what his expression was when he saw my aunt, almost a repeat image of my mother? Can you imagine what thoughts must be churning in his mind? How was he going to balance his love for my mother and his loyalties to you?"

Artemis' breath caught as Avery moved her hand to trace up along Artemis' arm and across his chest. As devious she appeared before him now, Artemis could not fight the physical attraction. The gentleness of her touch and softness of her fingertips; it was the ultimate paradox.

"Butler could have easily determined it was not my mother. However, he convinced himself that it was Delilah. He wanted me to win. How do you think I was always one step ahead of you? How do you think I was able to circumvent your encrypted messages so readily?

"So make it easy and let him come home with me. My father betrayed you once for me; he will do it again." Avery was now right up against Artemis. He could feel her warmth breath on his neck. "You cannot win against me."

It felt as if Aretmis' stomach had dropped out from under him. A black void was coming up around him, swallowing him whole. Her words, "You cannot win against me," echoed in his mind. He knew that it was true. Artemis could not ask a father to dispose of his own daughter, nor could he overcome his attraction to the young woman. He mentally berated himself for finding her overconfident, powerful personality enticing.

Leaning in, she placed her lips right next to Artemis' ear and whispered, "You of all people should understand." Avery was so close to him that he could hear her smile. "Understand the drive for a little girl to find her father and bring him home."

Avery pulled back and smiled at Artemis once again. "My father is going to leave with me. If you truly cared about your manservant," Avery spat out the last word, "then give him your approval to let him go."

As Avery left silently from Aretmis' room, the young man laid back on his bed. He felt emotionally exhausted in a way he had never felt before. Shuddering at the realization of how much influence Avery could push over him, Artemis wrapped his arms around himself.

Despite how calculating the young woman might seem, Artemis did relate to the drive to get a father back. He himself had gone through several extremes to bring his father home, including risking Butler's and Holly's lives. There was a level of raw emotion behind all the frozen words.

Unable to sleep, Artemis stared emptily at the wooden paneling of his ceiling. He had made up his mind to discuss with Butler first thing in the morning the conversation he had with Avery, but making that decision only made him more uneasy. Closing his eyes and performing a few breathing exercises to calm him anxiety, Artemis patiently waited for Butler.

When the manservant to the young Fowl arrived promptly in the morning to awake his mater, Artemis was already sitting upright in bed, staring at him.

"Artemis?"

"You helped Janelle win."

Butler did not advert his gaze from Artemis' anguished eyes. "Artemis, try to understand. Maybe you cannot understand right away, but find it in yourself to wait to understand in the future."

The young man chuckled. He had spent all of last night and that morning trying to understand. "I am trying, Butler. But I cannot." The scene with Avery played over in his mind; Artemis should have been able to relate on a lower level. He suffered the overwhelming rationality to reject Avery, yet the inability to fight the feelings that had spawned over the past few days.

"Am I dismissed?" Butler asked, stating each world separately, as if it was painful to speak those three words.

There was a brief moment of consideration on Artemis' part. However, the brief moment felt stretched to the span of years to Butler.

"You must make a choice. If you choose to stay here, I need you to abandon all other obligations. This includes your ties to Avery. However, if you choose to go with her, I give you my approval."

"Avery…"

Artermis' heart skipped a beat when Butler said her name aloud. Artemis had hoped that Butler would at least take some time to come to a decision, not announce it right away. Did he miscalculate and was now going to lose his closest companion?

"I'm sorry," Butler added. "I am a Fowl."

There was high-pitched squeak from behind Butler. The man could not turn and look at his daughter, who was standing in the doorway.

Artemis, however, did look at her. Her normally bright eyes were a dead black shade. Whatever inspiration she used to hold there had escaped, as if punctured with a knife. For the first time, Artemis also experienced the sensation of defeat with his victory. It broke his heart as well to see someone who used to be so beautiful look so down trodden.

**To be continued…**


End file.
